Common to all branches
HS2161 Technical English II
Time: Three Hours Maximum: 100 Marks
Answer ALL Questions

Part A - (10 x 2 = 20 Marks)

1. Match the words in Column A with their meanings in Column B.

A B
(a) breeder (i) energy
(b) harness (ii) not moving
(c) portable (iii) collect
(d) stagnant (iv) producer
(v) can be moved around
2. Fill in the blanks with suitable prepositions.
The thorium reserves can be used fast breeder reactors. A very small quantity
nuclear fuel produces energy that can otherwise be produced vast
quantities conventional fuels like coal.
3. Write purpose statements for any TWO of the following :
(a) Cell phone
(b) Computer
(c) i-pod.
4. Fill in the blanks in the following sentences with the appropriate tense forms of the verbs
given in brackets :
(a) I met him as he ||||| (cross) the road.
(b) The gardener ||||| (work) in the garden since 8 o'clock.
(c) He called for the taxi after he ||||| (¯nished) the packing.
(d) Children normally ||||| (respond) to praise and encouragement.
5. Fill in the blanks with suitable forms of words given : (
Noun Adjective Person concerned
(a) Geological
(b) Chemistry
(c) Environment
(d) industrial
6. Give the numerical expressions for the following :
e.g. : A motor bike weighing 150 kilograms { a 150 kg motor bike.
(a) a tank with a capacity of 250 liters
(b) a D.C. supply of 240 volts
(c) a lamp of a power of 60 watts
(d) a cricket match lasting three days.
7. Rewrite the following sentence in reported speech :
(a) The chairperson said, \The export projects have been the main cause for the drain
on our funds".
(b) The scientist observed \The test ¯rings indicate the accuracy of the missile".
8. Combine the following pair of sentences to bring out the cause and e®ect relationship :
(a) The machine was not maintained properly. The accident occurred.
(b) There i s an increase in the number of accidents. The tra±c police do not check the
violation of rules.
9. Add suitable pre¯xes - sub, super, hyper, ultra, to the following words to match the meaning
given against them :
(a) { tension { abnormally high blood pressure.
(b) { violet { having wavelength beyond the violet end of the spectrum.
(c) { zero { less than zero.
(d) { conductivity { the property of having zero electrical resistance.
10. Write two instructions to prevent wastage of water in educational institutions.

Part B - (5 x 16 = 80 Marks)

11. Read the passage and answer the questions that follow it :
Let us take a brief look at the planet on which we live. As earth hurtles through space at
a speed of 70,000 miles per hour, it spins, as we all know, on its axis, which causes it to be
°attended at the Poles. Thus, if you were to stand at sea level at the North or South Pole
you would be 13 miles nearer the center of the earth than if you stood on the Equator.
The earth is made up of three major layers - a central core, probably metallic, some 4000
miles across, a surrounding layer of compressed rock, and to top it all a very thin skin of
softer rock, only about 20 to 40 miles thick - that's about as thin as the skin of an apple,
talking in relative terms.
The pressure on the central core is unimaginable. It has been calculated that at the
center it is 60 million pounds to the square inch, and this at a temperature of perhaps
10,000 degrees Fahrenheit. The earth's interior, therefore, would seem to be of liquid metal
- and evidence for this is given by the behavior of earthquakes.
When an earthquake occurs, shock waves radiate from the center just as waves radiate
outwards from the point where a stone drops into a pond. And these waves pulsate through
the earth's various layers. Some waves descend vertically and pass right through the earth,
providing evidence for the existence of the core and an indication that it is °uid rather
than solid. Thus, with their sensitive instruments, the scientists who study earthquakes,
the seismologists, can in e®etc X-ray the earth.
Iceland is one of the most active volcanic regions of the world. And it was to Iceland that
Jules Verne sent the hero of his book `A Journey to the center of the Earth'. This intrepid
explorer clambered down the opening of an extinct volcano and followed its windings until
he reached the earth's core. There he found great oceans, and continents with vegetation.
This conception of a hollow earth we now know to be false. In the 100 years since Jules
Verne published his book, the science of vulcanologist, as it i s called, has made great strides.
But even so the deepest, man has yet penetrated is about 10,000 feet. This hole, the
Robinson Deep mine in South Africa, barely scratches the surface; so great i s the heat at
10,000 feet that were it not for an elaborate air-conditioning system, the miners working
would be roasted. Oil boring down to 20,000 feet have shown that the deeper they go, the
hotter it becomes.
The temperature of the earth at the center i s estimated to be anything between 3,000
and 11,000 degrees Fahrenheit. Some scientists believe that this tremendous heat is caused
by the breaking-down of radio-active elements, which release large amounts of energy and
compensate for the loss of heat from the earth's surface. If this theory i s correct, then we
are all living on top of a natural atomic powerhouse.
(A) Choose the responses which best re°sects the meaning of the text :
(Marks 6 * 1 = 6)
(i) The outer layer of the earth i s compared to the skin of an apple because
(a) it i s only 20 to 45 miles thick
(b) it is thin in proportion to the Earth's mass
(c) it is relatively thin compared with the central core
(d) it is softer than other layers
(ii) Which of the following is not true?
It is thought that the interior of the Earth is not solid because
(a) there i s great pressure at the center
(b) earthquake waves can move vertically
(c) the outer layer is made of rock
(d) the heat at the center is too great
(iii) The Robinson Deep mine in South Africa is
(a) too deep to work in
(b) too hot to work in
(c) still in use
(d) very close to the surface
(iv) Since the publication of Jules Verne's book it has been proved that
(a) the center of the earth is not hollow
(b) oil boring cannot go deeper than 20,000 feet
(c) the earth is hot at the center because heat is lost at the surface
(d) the earth i s in danger of exploding
(v) The behavior of earthquake is the evidence to show that,
(a) the outer layer is not semi-solid
(b) the interior of the earth is not solid
(c) the interior layer consists of compressed rock
(d) earthquakes can be controlled
(vi) An elaborate air-conditioning system was indispensable in Robinson Deep Mine be-
cause of the
(a) excessive internal pressure
(b) extreme cold condition
(c) excessive internal heat
(d) depth of the mine itself
(B) Decide whether the following statements are True or False :

(i) If you stand at the Equator you will be closer to the center of the Earth than if you
stand at the Poles.
(ii) The shock waves from an earthquake cannot pass through the Earth's center core.
(iii) Jules Verne suggested that the Earth's center was hollow.
(iv) It is not known exactly how hot it is at the center of the Earth.
(v) The earth travels through the space at a speed of 90,000 miles per hour.
(vi) The earth is compared to a natural atomic power house.
(C) Choose the DE¯notion which best ¯ts these words or phrases as they are used in the text :
(Marks 4 * 1 = 4)
(i) in e®etc
(1) probably
(2) e®actively
(3) actually
(4) accurately
(ii) intrepid
(1) daring
(2) foolish
(3) experienced
(4) curious
(iii) has made great strides
(1) caused a sensation
(2) been accepted by scientists
(3) developed immensely
(4) improved mining techniques
(iv) compensate for
(1) prepare for
(2) allow for
(3) make up for
(4) exchange for

12. (a) Write two paragraphs of 100 words each on the importance of forest resources and on the
measures that you would recommend to preserve forest resources. (Marks 16)
OR
12. (b) Write two paragraphs on the following topic : (200 words)
\The merits and demerits of the best alternative source of energy for India." (Marks 16)

13. (a) Write a letter to an Industry seeking for permission for an Industrial Training. (Marks 16)
OR
13. (b) Imagine that you are the class representative. Draft a letter to Bharat Electronics Limited,
Bangalore, seeking permission for an Industrial visit by your class students. You may
specify the purpose of your visit, when you want to visit, your expectations etc in your
letter. (Marks 16)

14. (a) Write a set of 8 instructions of the following : (Marks 16)
\Giving ¯rst Aid to a victim of a road accident".
OR
14. (b) Write a set of 8 instructions of the following : (Marks 16)
\To maintain two-wheelers and four-wheelers in good working condition".

15. (a) Rearrange the following jumbled sentences into a coherent paragraph :
(Marks 16)
(i) When there is a language barrier, communication i s accomplished through sign lan-
gauge.
(ii) Body language transmits ideas and thoughts by certain actions.
(iii) Many of these symbols of whole words are very picturesque and exact and can be
used internationally.
(iv) Ever since humans inhabited the earth, they have made use of various forms of com-
munication.
(v) Other forms of non-linguistic language can be found in Braille, signal °ags, Morse code
and smoke signals
(vi) A nod sign¯es approval while shaking the head indicates a negative reaction.
(vii) Generally their expression of thoughts and feelings has been in the form of oral speech.
(viii) Nonetheless verbalization is the most common form of communication.[Marks 16]
OR
15. (b) Rearrange the following jumbled sentences into a coherent paragraph :
[Marks 16]
(i) In the long term, certain chemicals in tobacco smoke intensify the damage in the lung
region.
(ii) But, giving up smoking progressively reduces such risks of lung cancer.
(iii) Consequently, the mucus remains and starts accumulating in the lungs, making them
liable to infection.
(iv) However, without any doubt it can be said that smoking i s injurious to health.
(v) The damage caused to the lungs and respiratory passages inhibits the process that
removes mucus and dust particles.
(vi) There is an overwhelming statistical and experimental evidence to associate smoking
with diseases like lung cancer and coronary heart attacks.
(vii) This, in turn, induces cancer in the lung diseases.
(viii) Apart from early death from these two diseases, heavy smokers su®er from persistent
coughs which damage the lungs.[Marks 16]